Question: Hi, I found this plant growing wild in the front yard in Westport, MA. and I'm hoping you can identify …
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Question
Hi, I found this plant growing wild in the front yard in Westport, MA. and I'm hoping you can identify it for me. The berries and leaves look very similar to an elderberry plant that I recently purchased but the shape of the berry clusters is different. If they aren't elderberries, are they edible? Thank you!
Answer
Dear aniv6, it appears you have photographed a species of privet (Ligustrum), a member of the olive family (Oleaceae). There are four different species of privet in New England, and their identification relies on some details of the flowers and kinds of hairs found on the branchlets. Best wishes.
